History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 106

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 1438

USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 106
USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 106
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 106

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

(1). Robert married Elizabeth King and lived on the farm now occupied by his son, Robert M. Ken- nedy, Esq. (2). Eunice married Benjamin King, Esq. (3). Sally married Andrew Lester and lived on the place now occupied by Frank Lester. (4). Nathan married Pamelia, daughter of Stephen King, and lived on the farm now owned by his son, Robert H. Kennedy. (5). David, Jr., married Rhoda Stearns, and lived with his father on the Kennedy homestead, lately owned by his son, David L. Kennedy, and now the property of Mr. J. S. Tiffany. (6). Nancy mar- ried Jonathan Wilber, and lived on the farm now owned by Orrin Lester, Esq. (7). Charles married Sarah Bass, and lived where his son, Porter Ken-

nedy now resides. The descendants of the Kennedy family are very numerous in the township.

Mr. Jacob Van Meter came here on his way from Salem County, N. J., to Western New York. He decided to settle here and purchased the farm, and built the house where his son, the late Charles Van Meter lived, and which is now owned and occupied by James O'Neill. Jacob Van Meter, Jr., was the first adult person who died in the township. He died in the fall of 1796. John Conrad Ewaldt moved in with his family this year, but did not remain long. Samuel Rogers and family also came this year, but remained but a short time. In 1795 Mr. John S. Rogers, from New Jersey, a Quaker, purchased and settled with his family, con- sisting of eight children. He built upon the farm since known as the Paul O'Neill place, where he kept a tavern during his life. His sons settled near him ; Samuel a little way east of his father, where William O'Neill now lives ; Amos west, on the hill, where the late Paul O'Neill, Jr., resided; Clayton lived on the farm now owned by the family of the late Godfrey Stevenson, where he kept a tavern.

This year Mr. Joseph Stevenson, also from New Jersey, bought and built near the octagon stone school-house, on land now owned by Mr. Frank W. Gager. He had six children, the oldest of whom was over twenty-one years of age. Three of his sons,-James, Isaiah and Daniel lived and died in the township. James lived on the place now owned by the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, known as Steven- son's Mills. Oliver Stevenson, son of James Stevenson, formerly sheriff of Wayne County, . owned a grist-mill here, which was burned a few years since. On this farm the Delaware and Hudson Company have since built the large reservoir known as Hankins' Pond.

Isaiah Stevenson lived east of his father, on the place now owned by Albert Miller. The late Godfrey Stevenson, formerly treasurer of the county, was his son, also the venerable Arthur Stevenson, now living in the township. Daniel Stevenson lived on part of the place now owned by Malden Bennett, in the south part of the township. Harvey Stevenson and Joseph Stevenson, of Waymart, were his sons.

1 The writer is a great grandson of David Kennedy, Sen.

645

WAYNE COUNTY.

Seymour Allen came this year and bought Amasa Goer's farm and improvement. He sold in 1800 to Rev. Epaphras Thompson, a Baptist clergyman from Bristol, Conn., who, in 1801, sold the same to Ichabod Stark, from Bristol, Conn., who lived on it until his death, which occurred in 1820.1 Luther Stark, his son, sold part of the place to the late Thomas Brown, and years after the remainder to Samuel Chittenden, of New York, who still owns it. The late David Stark was a son of William Luther Stark. His descendants are living in the town- ship. This same year Abram Cramer came here from the south part of the county. He bought a place and built his house of hewn logs, south of the present residence of Orlando Kelly, on land now owned by Henry McAvoy. A part of the house is still standing (the oldest in the township.) David Cramer, who owned the farm known as the "Cramer Place," on the Bethany turnpike, was a grandson of Abram Cramer. Some of the Cramers still reside in the township.

Elijah Peck, from Connecticut, moved his family into the settlement this year. He built a log house on an old road which was con- structed north of the present Cochecton and Great Bend turnpike, on the farm now owned by his son, Hiram Peck. He became a Baptist clergyman, and was known as an ornament to his profession. He died here in 1835. He liad thirteen children, eight of whom were sons. Elijah, Jr., lived north of his father's place, where his son Solomon now lives, died in 1875. William lived where N. R. Kennedy now lives. Reuben owned what is now known as the "Peck farm," in Clinton. Joseph lived on the farm now owned and occupied by Thomas O'Neill. Lewis lived about one-half mile south of the Cochecton turnpike, on place owned by Henry Kennedy ; died in Clinton. Of his daughters, Sallie married James Tanner. Mira married Jesse Dix. Betsy married Je- rome Case. Joanna W., widow of the late Giles Gaylord, of Clinton, is still living; W. A. Gaylord, the present prothonotary, is her SON.

1 Manuscript of Major Luther Stark.

1796. Benjamin King, originally from Rhode Island, came from the Paupack settle- ment. He purchased the farm now owned by Wellington Moase, on which he lived for about twenty years. He married Eunice Kennedy. He was county commissioner,2 and for many years justice of the peace. He died June 15, 1860, aged eighty-three years. He had seven children, viz. : Cynthia married Peter Sherman. Sally Ann married Reuben Peck. Hawkins married Mary White. Lucinda married Par- mer Tallman. Durinda married David Clough. Robert married Minerva Tallman. Benjaman, Jr., married Juliaette Dix. Pamelia married Squire Crater. All of these reared large fami- lies, and were conspicuous in the early history of this and adjacent townships. Robert and Benjamin live in Starrucca borough.

Charles King, a carpenter, brother of Benja- min, Sr., settled east of his brother, on land now owned by William P. Kennedy. Stephen King, another brother, located further east, on the same road, and later built the house and cleared the farm now known as the "Demming place," at the corner below W. P. Kennedy's residence. The house in which he died is still standing, but unoccupied.

This year Samuel Meredith commenced to make improvements here. He was of an illus- trious family, and traced his ancestry to the blood royal of Wales. His father, Reese Mer- edith, came to Philadelphia in 1730. He de- voted his time to business, and it is not known that he held any public office, choosing rather to serve his country as a private citizen. In the year 1755 he formed the acquaintance of Washington, then a Virginia colonel, which lasted through his life and that of his son. He was a signer of the celebrated " Non-Importa- tion Resolutions," and contributed twenty-five thousand dollars to feed and clothe the Ameri- can army at Valley Forge. He died Novem- ber 17, 1778. He had four children : 1, John died in infancy ; 2, Samuel ; 3, Anne, wife of Colonel Henry Hill; 4, Elizabeth, wife of George Clymer, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

2 At the time Pike County was set off,

646

WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

General Samuel Meredith was born in Philadel- phia in 1741, was educated at Chester. He cn- gaged in business in Philadelphia under several firm names, the last being Meredith & Clymer ; it was dissolved in 1781. Mr. Meredith was an active Whig, and took a deep interest in the leading questions of the day. In November, 1765, he attended the meeting of the merchants and citizens of Philadelphia, to protest against the importation of teas and goods which were stamped. Hc and Mr. Clymer signed the re- solutions adopted November 7, 1765, as his father had done. On the 19th of May, 1772, he married Margaret, daughter of Dr. Thomas Cadwalader, of Philadelphia, Chief Medical Di- rector of Pennsylvania Hospital. He was chair- man of the committee of safety in 1775. When the " Silk Stocking Company " was organized, in 1775, Mr. Meredith was made major, and in that capacity took part in the battles of Tren- ton and Princeton. In October, 1777, he was commissioned general of the Fourth Brigade, Pennsylvania Militia, and took part in the bat- tles of Brandywine and Germantown. General Meredith resigned in 1778, in consequence of his father's ill health and the continued absence of his partner and brother-in-law, George Cly- mer. He was twice elected from Philadelphia County to the Pennsylvania Colonial Assembly, and from 1787 to 1788 was a delegate to the Continental Congress. In the spring of 1780 he and George Clymer cach contributed twenty- five thousand dollars to thesupport of the army. He was a director of the Bank of North Amer- ica, organized by Robert Morris in 1781.

On the 1st of August, 1789, he was appointed by President Washington surveyor of the port of Philadelphia, holding the office until Sep- tember 30, 1789, when he received still further proof of Washington's friendship in the ap- pointment of treasurer of the United States, which office he held until October 31, 1801, serving under three administrations, ¿. e., Wash- ington's, Adams' and Jefferson's. From Octo- ber, 1789, to December, 1790, his office was in New York, and then was removed with the seat of government to Philadelphia, where it re- mained until 1800, when it was removed to Washington.

During his long administration as treasurer, not a single discrepancy marred the entire cor- rectness of his accounts. The estimation in which he was held is evinced by the following :

" TREASURY OFFICE, New York.

" September 13, 1789.

" Sir :- Permit me to congratulate you on your ap- pointment as Treasurer of the United States, and to assure you of the pleasure I feel in anticipating your co-operation with me in a station in which a charac- ter like yours is so truly valuable.

"I need not observe to you how important it is that you should be on the ground as soon as possible. The call for your presence, you will be sensible, is urgent. Mr. Duer, my assistant, goes to Philadelphia to pro- cure a loan from the bank there. He will communi- cate with you, and, I am persuaded, will meet with your concurrence in whatever may facilitate the object of his mission.

" With sincere esteem "I am, Sir, " Your obedient servant, " ALEXANDER HAMILTON, " Secretary of the Treasury.

"SAMUEL MEREDITH, EsQ., " Treasurer of the United States."

His resignation and retirement were due to ill health and financial embarrassment ; his private affairs having become sadly neglected during his official life: Upon it he received the follow- ing complimentary letter from Jefferson :

" MONTICELLO, September 4, 1801.

" Dear Sir :- I received yesterday your favor of August 29th, resigning your office as Treasurer of the United States after the last of October next. I am sorry for the circumstances which dictate the measure to you ; but from their nature, and .the deliberate consideration of which it seems to be the result; I presume that dissuasives on my part would be without effect. My time in office has not been such as to bring me into intimate insight into the proceedings of the several departments, but I am sure I hazard nothing when I testify in your favor, that you have conducted yourself with perfect integrity and pro- priety in the duties of the office you have filled and pray you to be assured of my highest consideration. " THOMAS JEFFERSON.

" MR. MEREDITH."

In 1774 Meredith and Clymer commenced the purchase of large tracts of wild land in West Virginia, East Kentucky, in Delaware and Sullivan Counties, N. Y., and in the fol- lowing Pennsylvania Counties, viz. : Schuyl- kill, Pike, Monroe, Lackawanna, Luzerne,

647

WAYNE COUNTY.

Wyoming. Bradford, Sullivan and Susque- hanna, and between 1790 and 1796, about fifty thousand acres in Wayne County. In the latter year General Meredith commenced making im- provements at a place in this township, which he afterward named Belmont. In 1802 he was assessed as having sixty acres of improved land, but as a non-resident soon after he moved in with his family and resided in a plain Goode- rich structure situated about fifty rods north of Cochecton and Great Bend Turnpike, until 1812, when he completed his residence known as Belmont, at a cost of six thousand dollars. This is situated about one mile west of the vil- lage of Pleasant Monnt, and is now owned and occupied by Mr. James Fowler. Here he spent the remainder of his life superintending the settlement and development of his vast estate.

What was known as " Belmont Manor," commenced on the Moosic Mountain, west of Waymart, and extended north along the range to Hine's Corners, in Preston township. It was about twenty miles long and two miles wide and contained about twenty-six thousand acres. All that remains of the old manor is between three and four huudred acres, situated in Mount Pleasant and Preston townships, known as the " Dickinson Tract,"1 and which belongs to the heirs of Anne Dickinson, General Meredith's daughter and Sarah Maria Graham, daughter of Thomas Meredith, Esq.

General Meredith was visited in his retire- ment by many of his old political associates. In person he is described as tall and command- ing, with a light blue eye ; graceful and pleasing in manner. He died at Belmont, February 10, 1817. in the seventy-sixth year of his age. On the gentle declivity of the Moosic, over- looking the beautiful valley of the Lackawaxen, lie the remains of the friend of Washington, and the first treasurer of the United States ; by his side sleeps his accomplished wife, who died September 20, 1820. A plain marble slab marks each grave. His wealthy children strangely neglected to erect a suitable monument to the memory of their illustrious father. A

movement was set on foot by citizens of Mount Pleasant, on the 4th of July, 1877, to erect a monument to mark the site. Appropriations were asked from the State of Pennsylvania and from the General Government, but were re- fused. The project was then abandoned.

General Meredith had seven children,-first, Martha, mother of the late John M. Read, chief justice of Pennsylvania; second, Elizabeth, died unmarried in 1824 ; third, Anne, mother of Hon. Philemon Dickinson, late president of the Trenton Banking Company, and also of the late Colonel Samuel Dickinson of the New Jer- sey Militia, and captain of Company E., Tenth United States Infantry ; fourth, Thomas, died in infancy ; fifth, Thomas (2) ; sixth, Margaret, died unmarried in 1826 ; seventh, Maria, died unmarried in 1854.

Thomas Meredith was born in Philadelphia, in 1779, and educated at the Pennsylvania University, after which he traveled abroad for many years ; was in India and China in 1800 and 1801. Upon his return he studied law, and was admitted to the Philadelphia bar in 1805; to the Wayne County bar in 1812; Luzerne County bar in 1816; justice of the peace for Mount Pleasant in 1808. During the war of 1812 he was major in the First Pliila- delphia Cavalry.

He opened the first coal mines below Carbon- dale in 1824, and in the same year obtained a charter for a railroad from the mouth of Leg- get's Creek on the Lackawanna to Great Bend on the Susquehanna. The road was surveyed in 1828, but failed for want of funds. The route surveyed is nearly that taken by the northern division of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Rail Road. Mr. Meredith was secretary of the Belmont and Ochquaga Turn- pike Company, and of the Stockport Coal and Stone Road Company. His wife was Saralı Gibson, daughter of a New York merchant. She died in 1834. Esquire Meredith, as the settlers called him, removed his family to Car- bondale in 1830. He died at Trenton, N. J., in October, 1855, and was buried in the old Quaker burying ground in that city, near his uncle, George Clymer, the signer. He left one son, Samuel Recse Meredith, who was born in

1 This tract has recently been purchased of the heirs by J. J. Fulkerson, Esq., of this place.

648

WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

Wayne County in 1823. Of this unfortunate but warm-hearted man nothing but mishaps could be related. About the year 1855 he was active in the formation of the Lackawanna Coal and Iron Company. This and various other enterprises in which liis fortune was embarked failed, and he lost all his property. He died in poverty in the Pennsylvania Hospital at Phila- delphia, in 1865. Not a single descendant of the family is found in this township.

Eliphalet Kellogg in 1796 settled on what is known as the David Sherwood place, now owned by Christopher Giles. He removed to Bethany in 1810. He was commissioner's clerk for some years, and prothonotary from 1808 to 1817.

A list of the taxables in Mount Pleasant township in 1799, found in the township rec- ords, numbers thirty-four. There are found in this list, that have not already been mentioned, the following : Denman Coe, Enos Cramer, Jacob Crater, Joseph Cromwell, Isaac Crom- well, William Cromwell, Daniel McMullen and Nathan Rude.

Jacob Crater came from Wyoming and pur- chased the farm now owned by his grandson, Austin Crater. He was a German. He pur- chased the saw-mill and grist-mill built by Jirah Mumford. His son, John, built a saw- mill above the one owned by his father, Abram Crater, another son, cleared the farm now owned by Thomas Johns.

Daniel McMullen lived on the farm since known as the Peter Ryder place. James Mc- Mullen and George McMullen were his sons. They were great hunters.

Nathan Rude was from Connecticut, and lived east of Captain John Tiffany on the old road running east and west. The farm is now the property of Philo Spencer. He is remem- bered as a man of quick wit and brilliant at repartee. Nathan, Simeon and Reuben were his sons. His descendants are in the town- ship.

About 1800, Elihu Tallman, from New Bed- ford, Mass., moved in and cleared a lot on the old road east of where Joseph Tanner lived. A few years after he bought and cleared a farm north of Joseph Dix. In 1813 he sold this to

a man by the name of Hall, and bought the Godfrey Stevenson place, and also a carding- machine of Jacob Plum, who had run it one year on the stream below where " Kennedy's Mills " now stand. He also built a saw-mill. About 1818, he sold out to Heaton Atwater and the next year moved to Preston township. The venerable C. P. Tallman, still living at Tall- mansville, is his son.

Caleb Carr is mentioned in the township record in 1801. Reuben Carr married Lydia, daughter of Joseph Tanner. She died in 1811, leaving two children. Solomon West and Ben- jamin Newton are noticed in 1803. They lived on the old road, before mentioned, west of Na- than Rude, as did Silas Tanner and Henry Newton.

In 1803 Andrew Lester came to Mount Pleasant from Wallenpaupack settlement. The year previous he married Sally, daughter of David Kennedy, Sr. He purchased one hun- dred acres of land on which he built a log house and barn and cleared up about forty acres, and planted a small orchard. This farm, now owned by Porter Kennedy, he exchanged with his brother-in-law, Charles Kennedy, for one now owned by his son, Orrin Lester, Esq., sit- uated two miles east of Mount Pleasant village, and occupied by his grandson, Frank Lester. Here he lived until over ninety-one years of age. He died September 29, 1869. His wife died the same year. They had eight children, viz : Eunice, Betsy, Anna, Asa, David, Sarah, Orrin and Emeline. The last two are living in the township. Emeline is the wife of Dr. Rodney Harmes. Andrew Lester was a noted hunter. Many thrilling hunting stories are told of him.

Ezra Bartholomew came into the township in or about 1804. He settled in the south part of the township, on the farm long owned by his son Ralzamon, and now owned by Charles H. Bartholomew. His oldest daughter was the wife of Baxter Bicknell. After the death of Bicknell she married Elder Chase, a Bap- tist preacher.

Wooster Bartholomew was a brother of Ezra, but his name does not appear in the town records until 1816.

649

WAYNE COUNTY.

About 1807 Moses Miller, from the State of New York, purchased of Silas Kellogg two hundred acres of land, since known as the " George Miller place," about four miles east of the village of Pleasant Mount, and now owned by Barney Megivern. Here he resided until his death, in 1855. He was for many years a justice of the peace. He reared a family of eight children, of whom all but one remained in the township, viz., - Ephraim, Marlin, George W., James W., Wesley, Laura, Betsy and Mary. Marlin still lives on the Bethany turnpike, east of the Red School-house. James lives east of Marlin, on the opposite side of the road. Laura married Joseph Terrell, who was for many years a merchant at White's Valley. Mary married Abram Bonham and lived on the side of the " Big Hill," east of White's Valley." Betsy married Bonham Vastbinder, and lived in the stone house where Jehiel Vastbinder now lives.

In 1807 Amasa Goodsell came into the town- ship. He lived where Nathan Sherwood now resides. The same year Truman Wheeler set- tled on the north and south road, where George Allen now lives. He was educated, and for many years a justice of the peace. He removed to the West.

In 1808 Jonathan Wibber settled on a farm east of the Phoenix Baptist Church, and now occupied by Orrin Lester, Esq. He was a blacksmith. About this time Clark Tanner settled in the township.

In 1808 James Bigelow, from Spencer, Mass., moved in, with his wife and family of eight children. He purchased the farms on which his grandsons, James E. and Frank M., now live. He built his house in what is now an old orchard, north of the present residence of F. M. Bigelow. A stone chimney marks the site. James Bigelow was one day older than Mary, his wife, and lived four days after she died. They nearly reached eighty years, and died in 1842. Their children reared families, whose descendants are numerous in this vicinity. Their names are as follows : Sally, who married Deacon John Tiffany ; Betsy, who married Esquire Yale ; John, who married Lydia Yale, and lived on the Bigelow

homestead ; Polly, who married Steplien Part- ridge; Patty, who married Benjamin Fletcher ; Tryphena, who married Jonathan Miller ; Tryphosa, who married Clayton Rogers ; James Howe, who married Rachel Muzzey, and cleared the farm now owned by his son, Lorenzo; Thirsa, who married Richard Delong.

About this time (1808) William Burcher, from London, settled south of John S. Rogers, on what is now the Megivern place. He moved to the place now owned by John White, on the Bethany turnpike. In 1819 he lost his property, through a de- fective title, and removed to Damascus and purchased the farm now owned by his son, the venerable John Burcher, where he died in 1839.

James Miller purchased seventy acres of land, east of his brother, Moses Miller, Esq. This place is now occupied by his son, Addison Miller. Albert Miller and James Miller, Jr., are sons of James Miller. Adam Niver settled on the Bethany road, at the top of what is known as the " Niver Hill." Daniel Roberts settled on Belmont and Easton turnpike, where Ferdinand Bartholomew now resides. Levi Geer, from Windham, Conn., cleared the farm since owned by Willianı R. Stone, and now occupied by Harvey Ferguson. Harvey, Mar- vin, Darius, Perry and Lavina were children of Levi Geer. Joshua Geer lived on the farm of the late James Clift, of White's Valley. Eras- mus, Erastus and Gurdew were his sons.

Thomas Lillibridge married Polly Stanton, the first child born in the township. He set- tled on the place since known as the " Abbot Farm," on the Cochecton turnpike. He re- moved to the West.

In the fall of 1809 Robert Ledyard, from Windham, Conn., came into the township. He occupied a house at the foot of the hill, near a noted spring, about fifty rods southwest of where the Vastbinder school-house now stands. Part of the house was used as a residence by the family of John Wrighter. Here he lived until the spring of 1811, when he went on the farm now known as the Ledyard farm, on the north and south road. He died in 1835, aged eighty. His wife, Mary Cady, died in 1843.

650

WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

Of their children, John was killed in the war of 1812; Samuel and David went West ; Gurdew was killed by a falling tree; Luther lived and died in Clinton ; Mary married Peter Ryder : and Hiram is now living on the old place, at the age of eighty-three years. Hiram married Lucinda, daughter of Reuben Rude, and is one of the largest real-estate holders in the town- ship.

1809. About this time Zedekiah Bonliam located on the farm now known as the Hauser place, west of White's Valley. Many of his descendants now live in the township. The following are some of his children : Andrew, who lived on the Samuel Martin farm ; Amos, who lived where Joseph Allen now resides ; John, who lived on what is known as the Heth Bonham place and married Sarah Hamlin, who died in 1882, aged ninety-two years; Abram, who lived on the side of the hill east of White's Valley ; Mary, who married Wm. Chumard, of Canaan ; and Harrict, who married Abram Houser, and lives on the old Bonham farm. Zedekiah Bonham built a saw-inill on the Johnson Creek. In 1809 or 1810 Eli Howell, a shoemaker, located here. He is the progeni- tor of the Howell family in the township. His sons were John, a shoemaker, who at one time owned the David Doyle farms ; David, whose place was on the road south of Lewis Peck's farm, and now owned by G. W. Kennedy; and Eli, jr., now living in the south part of the township. Elisha Howell and John W. Howell are sons of John Howell.

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History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 106

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co. Number of Pages: 1438

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 1438